TJ, I thought it was really easy to be vocal when spending $18,000 on a pond, almost $1000 in fish (includes planned fish), and many hours for planning, construction, and management. I posted early summer about a potential bucket stocking but it would not have been from anybody I know as all were informed prior to the pond filling. There is a pretty high possibility I would sue for damages (cost of killing and re-stocking) if I ever caught anybody doing it, friend or not.
Let's say for a second I am luckier than a 15 year old at the Bunny Ranch in Nevada. If there are no more Bluegill will they need to be stocked? Also, is it even possible to fish out all the LMB or is it a futile effort? Will the LMB spawn this fall, all are still under 7"?
In this month's PB Mag, in the 'Ask the Boss' section, Al Boenker from Fort Worth, TX wrote in describing a home built device to stop the movement of small fry from creek to lake. Is this a viable solution as it would probably be pretty easy to implement in my situation?
I am still convinced the fish came from upstream but it is possible someone got in and bucket stocked some larger LMB that spawned. Would I see larger (12"+) LMB cruising the banks or would I never know they were there w/o catching them?
I know why you say switch to a LMB/BG management strategy but I am not ready yet. May be from stupidity, unfounded optimism, or the shear challenge. Come Spring I would assume I am going to have to switch over. If I can figure out a levy or some other way to stop fish from entering, we are going to kill it off and start over.
Thanks for all the input and advice, don't know where we would be without you guys!
